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Book Description

A dramatic story of rage, revolution, and the daring young woman at the center of a new fight for the future of feminism.

They came for Inna Shevchenko in the middle of the night—thugs sent by Ukrainian authorities to arrest the beautiful and angry young activist. When she jumped out of her apartment’s back window and into a speeding car, Shevchenko’s life changed forever. The 22-year-old, who had inspired the Russian activists Pussy Riot, fled to Paris and, almost overnight, built a movement that now spans Europe and beyond.

Femen—the self-ordained “shock-troops of feminism” and “the watch-bitches of democracy”—today boasts more than 5,000 members, with branches in 10 countries. It has quickly become the most provocative and daring activist organization in the world, thanks in part to its audacious topless demonstrations. Physically attacking world leaders, brawling with police, and enduring beatings and arrests in its militant fight against the oppression of women, Femen is impossible to ignore, but—until now—difficult to fully understand.

Granted extensive and exclusive access to Shevchenko and her inner circle in Paris and Venice, Jeffrey Tayler, The Atlantic’s longtime Russia correspondent, takes readers deep inside the movement and paints a powerful, revealing portrait of the women waging an urgent, angry battle to shape the future of feminism.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey Tayler is a contributing editor at The Atlantic and has, since 1993, reported from Moscow for publications including National Geographic, Harper's, Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian, and Men’s Journal. He is the author of seven books, including River of No Reprieve and Facing the Congo, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

A dramatic story of rage, revolution, and the daring young woman at the center of a new fight for the future of feminism.

They came for Inna Shevchenko in the middle of the night—thugs sent by Ukrainian authorities to arrest the beautiful and angry young activist. When she jumped out of her apartment’s back window and into a speeding car, Shevchenko’s life changed forever. The 22-year-old, who had inspired the Russian activists Pussy Riot, fled to Paris and, almost overnight, built a movement that now spans Europe and beyond.

Femen—the self-ordained “shock-troops of feminism” and “the watch-bitches of democracy”—today boasts more than 5,000 members, with branches in 10 countries. It has quickly become the most provocative and daring activist organization in the world, thanks in part to its audacious topless demonstrations. Physically attacking world leaders, brawling with police, and enduring beatings and arrests in its militant fight against the oppression of women, Femen is impossible to ignore, but—until now—difficult to fully understand.

Granted extensive and exclusive access to Shevchenko and her inner circle in Paris and Venice, Jeffrey Tayler, The Atlantic’s longtime Russia correspondent, takes readers deep inside the movement and paints a powerful, revealing portrait of the women waging an urgent, angry battle to shape the future of feminism.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey Tayler is a contributing editor at The Atlantic and has, since 1993, reported from Moscow for publications including National Geographic, Harper's, Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian, and Men’s Journal. He is the author of seven books, including River of No Reprieve and Facing the Congo, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

An engrossing and illuminating book detailing the first few years of femen, the good and the bad. Femen are the SAS of the feminist movement and this book shows how courageous and determined their members are.

Impossible to put down, written with shocking detail and surprise. This is not feminism as we know it but do much more. I felt like I was reading a the history of the future. Extraordinary lives, that I'm in awe of, albeit not necessarily agreeing with all of Femen's ideas. A must read for all.

This is a fascinating book. It is about how a small group of young women found the strength to confront a brutal and corrupt police state, and moved on to create an international movement for social justice. I found their story inspiring. It shows that even in the worst of circumstances (and if Ukraine isn't quite that, you can see what it would be like from there) there are nonviolent ways to draw attention to horrible injustices. Not everyone is going to agree with Femen's tactics, but not everyone has gone through what these young women have. Tayler's book is important, I think, because it makes it possible to understand what it is like to be truly desperate, needing the world to change, but finding no one willing to listen. Tayler's book is about how these remarkable young women nevertheless found a way to make the world listen.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 starsGood analysis of the Femen Movement1 Mar. 2014

By Jack Quinn - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

I had read several news articles on French news sites about demonstrations held by members of the Femen movement, but I had no real idea of what the movement was about until I saw an advertisement for this ebook in The Atlantic magazine, I decided to check the book out by visiting the Amazon Web site to see what others had to say about it.

I only found two reviews of the book, one strongly positive and one strongly negative. Both seemed to imply that the book was not impartial but rather slanted in favor of the movement, to the delight of one of the reviewers and to the dismay of the other. Nevertheless, I decided to gamble a couple of bucks and purchase the book. I'm glad I did.

Jeffery Tayler is an excellent writer, as one would expect of a contributing editor of The Atlantic, and he does a superb job of describing the Femen movement and its history in a short book that can be read in a few hours. His treatment of the movement is as impartial as one can expect of an author who spent many hours with the movement's members and leadership. On the negative side, he mentions for example, that the movement has been accused of being ruled by the iron fist of its leader, Inna Shevchenko, and of being a dictatorial organization dedicated to fighting dictatorial organizations.

Whatever your opinion of the small, anti-patriarchal Femen movement and its tactics, I highly recommend that you read this ebook if you want to know more about it. This is the only publication that I am aware of that discusses the Femen movement in depth. -- Jack Quinn

5.0 out of 5 starsA fair and awesome profile18 Sept. 2014

By Manifesta - Published on Amazon.com

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I am a supporter and follower of Femen. I don't agree with everything they do, but I'm immensely gratified that they're out there, pushing the envelope. I think Tayler has captured both the wonderful and the problematic aspects of Femen, which will help those of us who hope to improve the organization from within. Viva Femen, and kudos to Tayler.

5.0 out of 5 starsThought provoking book, not a jeremiad nor hagiography23 April 2014

By T. G. Cline - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

Tayler's work, while fairly short, seems to be an accurate and balanced look at a controversial sociopolitical movement. It doesn't seem overly effusive with praise, nor in condemnation, and it will definitely hold your attention while you have it in hand.

5.0 out of 5 starsEmergence of a Protest Movement29 Mar. 2014

By Carole Sue Taylor - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

A well balanced account of the emergence of a protest movement that uses feminine beauty combined with performance art to point a finger at abuses of power.